Blackcurrants, Pumpkins & Politics

July Field Notes

Hello all! The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed I didn’t send my usual July Field Notes out at the beginning of the month. Long story short, I came off my anti-depressants thinking I was up for it, then I felt awful, then I went back on them and as a result my brain is mush and I’m feeling very unmotivated to do work which is not ideal. These things pass in time, and overall I’m feeling much better, but for now I’m saving all my motivation for deadlines and novel research, which are my current priorities. I didn’t want the month to pass without a lil Substack update though, so I present to you a selection of photos to illustrate what I’ve been up to. Enjoy!

Fig. 1: I got up at 3am on the morning of the election results to watch the shape of British politics get smashed about like a handful of play-doh.

Fig. 2: We took the kids and dogs camping in Padstow and I did a little sketch of the flower garden in the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Fig. 3: I made a chocolate hedgehog cake for my sister’s birthday. It was delicious - recipe here.

Fig. 4: We made a little wildlife pond in the corner of the garden! It’s currently full of mosquito larvae but I’m hoping they’ll be joined by other (less itchy) species soon.

Fig. 5: The first paperback copies of The Bridleway arrived! It’s out with Bloomsbury on 1 August and you can pre-order one here if you fancy a nice read for summer. All pre-orders are so helpful for authors so thank you in advance!

Fig. 6: The pumpkins are starting to unionise.

Something I Made - The July Birth Flowers print

The July print from my Birth Flowers series, originally for sale in my shop but since I closed it earlier this year, all my prints are now available for paid subscribers to download in high-res and use as you wish - just head to the Treats Library to have a browse of all my prints, seasonal guides and essay collections.

Something I Like - White Rabbit Magnet from the Boscastle Pottery

I’m in love with this little ceramic magnet I picked up from the Boscastle Pottery when we were in Cornwall, just before a long-awaited visit to the Witchcraft Museum there. Everyone needs a lucky bun magnet to guard the fridge from evil spirits, am I right?

Recipe of the Month - Blackcurrant Jam Cake

I harvested a load of blackcurrants from my sister’s garden the other day and they are currently sitting in the freezer waiting to be baked into something delicious. I absolutely LOVE the look of this massive, gooey sponge cake. If a cake is so decadent that it’s literally toppling beneath its own weight, it’s an automatic yes from me.